Travelers Not Welcome

I love the United States of America. And I like being from the USA. But there are times that I’m embarrassed to be from the US. At Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport, I had one of those experiences.

For many years, citizens of major Western European countries haven’t needed a visa to travel to the USA (and we don’t need a visa to travel there). But the geniuses at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have come up with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). The other name for the ESTA is “Visitors Not Welcome in the USA.”

As someone who lived through the terrorist attacks in New York, I believe in strong immigration policy, but this is insane. Instead of targeting groups that are known to be terrorists for additional security screening, we are targeting all good and decent tourists and making it a huge hassle for them to visit the U.S. and spend their money.

Signs like this one might as well read: “Visitors Not Welcome in the USA.”

Christian Tourism

I have no idea what Christian Tourism is. If I encountered this in a magazine or on the Internet, I would assume that it would include visiting holy Christian sites in the Middle East or perhaps following in the footsteps of St. Patrick in Ireland.

Nope. Evidently Christian Tourism means going on tours with other Christians and praying a lot. Sound like fun? Yeah, I thought so too. I’d rather stick nails under my fingers.

Yet, in Gettysburg, PA, I found a gem. Nancy & Udean Christian Tours. OK, so this isn’t really a sign. But it was parked in front of rather degenerate looking biker bar. The visions of senior citizens forking over their Social Security checks to Nancy and Udean to be taken to bar in rural Pennsylvania is an image I can’t get out of my mind. Maybe there’s something to be said for Christian Tourism after all.